# Community-Built Lego Butterfly Honors Cancer Survivor's Legacy in Lexington  
**Published:** 2026-05-01T17:40:46.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/community-built-lego-tribute-unveiled-during-memorial-walk-arboretum)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/community-built-lego-butterfly-honors-cancer-survivor-s-legacy-in-lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A 15,000-piece Lego butterfly created by local youth, including young patients at [Golisano Children's at UK](https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/golisano-childrens-uk), was unveiled April 26 during the third annual Blue Morpho Sunrise Walk at [The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky](https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/), surprising the walk's organizer with a tribute to her late daughter.

Melanie Simpson-Conley created the Blue Morpho Sunrise Walk to honor her daughter, [Alexandra Hudson Simpson, who died in 2022 after a decade-long battle with a rare sarcoma](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kentucky/name/alexandra-simpson-obituary?id=36351143). The three-and-a-half-by-six-and-a-half-foot blue and purple butterfly was unveiled by Abby Stover, family and community relations officer at UK Golisano Children's, on behalf of the [Child Life Program](https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/golisano-childrens-uk/services/child-life-program), leaving Simpson-Conley tearful at the surprise presentation.

"We wanted to create something lasting at the hospital, something that would live on as a reminder of the beautiful life she lived and the love that continues because of her," Stover said. "This butterfly represents transformation, courage and hope. It reminds us that love doesn't end — it changes form."

The butterfly artwork, constructed from more than 15,000 individual bricks, was built collaboratively by area youth, including patients receiving treatment at the hospital. Students from Casey County High School's GUPPY (Gear Up ProPelling You) Club participated in sorting and placing bricks for the final piece, along with over four dozen other contributors.

Lauren Price Johnson, a college and career navigator at Casey County High School and sponsor of the GUPPY Club, brought her students to participate in the project. Johnson connected the butterfly project to her own family's journey — she lost a son 27 days after his birth due to a heart condition. Both Johnson and Simpson-Conley find deep personal meaning in blue morpho butterflies as symbols of the children they lost.

"The students truly loved working on this project and being part of something so meaningful," Johnson said. "Melanie and I both have a special connection to butterflies, as they remind us of the children we lost."

The walk drew nearly 200 participants, including supporters who traveled from as far away as Pittsburgh and central Indiana. Attendees traced a path around [The Arboretum](https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/), including through the recently upgraded Alexandra Simpson Butterfly Garden, which features new flowerpots, a reconstructed pergola, a bricked walkway and a bronze sign.

[According to UK HealthCare](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/community-built-lego-tribute-unveiled-during-memorial-walk-arboretum), the exact location for the butterfly's permanent display has not yet been determined, though it will be placed in a prominent location within the children's hospital. The artwork will serve as a daily reminder for patients, families and staff of the resilience and hope embodied in Alexandra's legacy.

Simpson-Conley expressed gratitude for the artwork and the community support. "There's the artistry element and the engineering it took to create this spectacular piece, as well as the kindness in the execution of making this surprise project come to life," she said.

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/community-built-lego-tribute-unveiled-during-memorial-walk-arboretum)
- [Golisano Children's at UK hospital information](https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/golisano-childrens-uk)
- [The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky](https://arboretum.mgcafe.uky.edu/)
- [Alexandra Simpson obituary and legacy information](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kentucky/name/alexandra-simpson-obituary?id=36351143)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-healthcare/community-built-lego-tribute-unveiled-during-memorial-walk-arboretum.